Jurgen Klopp will leave Liverpool at the end of the season and Xabi Alonso is among the favourites to replace him, with one pundit claiming the Spaniard has made his decision
Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso is a man in demand (Image: Getty Images)
Richard Keys reckons Xabi Alonso has agreed to take over from Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool come the end of the season.
In January, Klopp, 56, revealed he'll be leaving his post this summer, saying he is "running out of energy" and is convinced it's time for him to go. It's big shoes to fill, with the German boss having led Liverpool to multiple trophies including the Premier League and Champions League.
Former Reds midfielder Alonso is the clear favourite for the role. He's steered Bayer Leverkusen through 38 games without tasting defeat and is on track to securing the club's very first Bundesliga trophy.
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From errors in the transfer market, to suboptimal playing styles, to conflicting egos, Liverpool jumped many hurdles before achieving their ambitions under Klopp, with the German surrounded by unsung heroes who shunned the limelight.
According to Keys, who shared the claim in his blog, Alonso is ready to bid goodbye to Leverkusen and make the move to Liverpool. He wrote: "As I always say when I share news like this - these big deals can always go wrong.
"There's a lot to go wrong when they're blue riband, whether it's a player or coach/manager involved, but my information is that Alonso has decided on Liverpool."
Reports in Germany reckon Alonso would rather stay in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich also keen on him. Thomas Tuchel is set to leave the Allianz Arena at the end of the season, less than a year after guiding Bayern to the title, reports the Mirror.
Bayern honorary president Uli Hoeness gave his thoughts on their possible pursuit of Alonso and hinted that he is their first-choice candidate to replace Tuchel this summer. At a Munich Trade Fair, the 72-year-old said: "He [Alonso] has proved that he can be a coach for the big time.
"There are hardly any suitable coaches who are currently free. Rather they are coaches who are under contract somewhere and possibly have great success.
"And that makes it much more difficult because clubs like Liverpool, Real Madrid, Leverkusen and FC Bayern are working on it [securing Alonso]. It's not so easy to tell them that Bayern is the measure of all things."
Alonso still has over two years to run on his contract at Leverkusen and could lead them into the Champions League next season. Leverkusen are 10 points clear at the top of the table with eight matches remaining and it would require an almighty collapse for them not to win the title.
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